22nd Century Group entered a testing services agreement with North Carolina State University to validate new low-nicotine tobacco varieties designed to improve yield and leaf quality while maintaining reduced nicotine levels, the company said. The research will evaluate genetic traits, crop performance, and commercial scalability as the company looks to strengthen its supply chain.
The initiative builds on 22nd Century’s proprietary reduced-nicotine platform, which underpins its FDA-authorized VLN cigarette products. The company said the collaboration is aimed at supporting long-term production efficiency and aligning with evolving regulatory focus on nicotine reduction.